I was planning to install new brake pads on my Mustang this past weekend but when I went to the first lug nut, I couldn't even fit the socket properly on the lug nut. When I looked closer, I could see that it had been partially rounded. Luckily none of the other lug nuts on that wheel or any of the other wheels had that. Given that I hadn't previously ever removed the wheels myself, I knew it had to have been done by the Ford service tech at my last service appointment when I had "The Works." I have an appointment with them this Saturday to do the passenger side airbag recall. Would it be uncouth of me to bring up the lug nut issue and ask if they can remove and replace it with another spare lug nut I have? Also, I don't know what torque they use for the lug nuts but I don't know how I could ever change a flat tire on the side of the road. I couldn't even get off the other lug nuts with an 18" breaker bar and a cheater pipe. I can't be that weak because I just changed the brakes on my 2002 Explorer without having to use a breaker bar.

 

Lug nuts should be torqued to 100 ft/lbs. It sounds like they put them on with an impact wrench. I would ask them to replace the rounded lug nut and to hand torque all the lugs to prevent issues in the future.

 

I assume you have take these off your self before right? If not could the rounded lug nut be a lock nut?

 

OK, going to go ahead and ask them to remove and replace the rounded lug nut and loosen all the tight ones and then hand torque. Heck, even if they just loosen them, I'd even bring my torque wrench and hand torque myself. After work today I tested all the lug nuts and the ones on the driver side came out normally. It's all the ones on the passenger side wheels that are tight as heck.

I have the wheel locking kit and the rounded one is definitely not one of the lock nuts unfortunately.

 

Found this on tirerack.com
Hope it helps.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiret...jsp?techid=107

 

Many new Ford's use crap 2pc lugs for appearance, the cheap cover gets mangled with impact wrenches.

 

Most of the damage occurring to the 2pc lug nuts are using a standard sae impact socket instead of the proper metric size; using a 12 point socket, which usually rounds the nut off; and definitely using a shallow impact socket instead of a proper 6 point deep impact. The shallow socket may deform the chrome as the actual lug doesn't extend all the way through to the length of the chrome cap.

 

Most of the damage om the Lug nuts is from impact guns, but from hammering the stainless cover and getting it loose and allowing moisture in, Rust is what got mine on my F-150 and I replaced them with the Gorilla equivalent. I have a set for the Mustang since I have a couple that are swelling up so the next time I take them off they will be switched out.